AUSTRALIA: Billionaire Palmer floats plan for online newspaper

BRISBANE (ABC News / Pacific Media Watch): Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer is contemplating a foray into online news, which he says could offer a lifeline to sacked Fairfax reporters.

Palmer is considering launching an online newspaper called Rage, which he says would improve media diversity.

"One of the things we are thinking about very seriously is running an online news service across Australia and offering hope to all of the journalists that have been dismissed with the Age and Fairfax," he told reporters.

"We have now sought the trademark on the name Rage because I thought that could be a good thing, and we may have that online soon."

Meanwhile, Palmer says he still has not decided if he will run for a seat in Federal Parliament.

After abandoning his tilt at the Brisbane seat of Lilley, held by Treasurer Wayne Swan, Palmer said he may challenge for independent MP Bob Katter's seat of Kennedy, or run in Fairfax.

He now says he would most likely run in the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax, where sitting MP Alex Somlyay is retiring.

"I've narrowed it down probably to Fairfax as being the seat I'd most favour at the moment because I've had a house in Fairfax for over 15 years," he said.

Pacific Media Watch is compiled for the Pacific Media Centre as a regional media freedom and educational resource by a network of journalists, students, stringers and commentators.
(cc) Creative Commons